Treating up on cupcakes

Cupcakes are usually defined as a miniature version of a cake baked in a cup-shaped mould and happens to be a delicacy for most of us for its pleasant appearance and presentation. Cupcakes gained popularity close to 1900s in the United States. Since then their varied creations have been increasing tremendously. In Britain, cupcakes are called fairy cakes since they use a lighter glaze icing as compared to the heavy frostings used by the American bakers.
The term cupcake was justified to its name by the fact that it was prepared using measurements by the cups and baked as a cup full too. Cupcakes have swept the culinary world over the last few years and it is no wonder why, with its flavours ranging from the classic vanilla to deliciously sweet caramel and butterscotch to the oddly savoury jalapeno-cheddar variety. There truly is a cupcake for everyone!

CHOCO-EXOTICA CUPCAKES

Ingredients
¾ cup refined flour
½ cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1½ tsp vanilla essence
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup butter
1 cup grain sugar
½ cup milk
For chocolate butter cream topping
1 cup unsalted butter
3 tbsp milk or heavy cream
1½ cup sugar
1 pinch salt
2 tsp vanilla essence
½ cup cocoa powder
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. in a mixing bowl combine together the flour, baking powder, cocoa powder, baking soda, salt, sieve them altogether and keep aside. In a separate bowl, combine together the eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla essence and whisk them up well with a hand blender. Add the dry ingredients a little at a time into the wet ingredients and fold them gently add in the milk gradually to get a desired dropping consistency. Grease and line the cupcake moulds and pour the prepared mixture into each of the compartments fill them 3/4^th to the top in each mould and set them for baking for 15- 20 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center upon checking. Allow to cool the cupcakes for 30 mins on a cooling rack and then decorate them as desired with chocolate cream/butter cream/ fresh cream etc. to prepare basic chocolate butter cream- using a dry clean stainless steel bowl beat the unsalted butter until creamy in texture for about 2 mins, add in sugar, cocoa powder, salt, vanilla essence and continue beating on a low speed for around a minute adjust the texture with cream/milk and cocoa powder if needed.

VEGAN STYLE VANILLA CUPCAKES

Ingredients
1 cup soy milk or any other dairy free milk like almond milk etc
1½ cup refined flour
½ cup vegan butter
¾ cup grain sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1½ tsp baking powder
1 tbsp lime juice/ white vinegar
1 pinch salt
For vegan vanilla frosting on cupcakes
2½ cup sugar
½ cup vegan butter
½ tsp vanilla essence
1 tsp soya milk/ dairy free milk
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. grease and line a cupcake mould. Sieve the flour with baking powder and salt and keep aside. In a mixing bowl combine together the soy milk with lime juice/vinegar and keep it aside for 3-4 mins and then add in the sugar, butter, vanilla essence and whisk them all up using an electric beater until the sugar has dissolved completely. Now slowly fold in the dry ingredients and gently mix them all in to a dropping consistency. Pour the prepared cupcake mixture into the moulds do not fill completely and place them for baking for 15-18 mins or until the toothpick comes out clean, allow to cool for 15-20 minutes before going ahead with the frosting. To prepare the frosting mixture beat the vegan butter with an electric beater until light and fluffy add in the sugar little by little, add in the vanilla essence and the dairy free milk and mix well, spoon the mixture into a frosting or icing bag and decorate the cupcakes and serve.

CAFÉ WALNUT CUPCAKES

Ingredients
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup butter
1 pinch salt
½ tsp baking powder
¾ cup brown sugar
2 tsp coffee powder
100 gm/  ½ cup chopped walnuts
For coffee butter cream frosting
1½ cup icing sugar
¾ cup butter
1 tsp coffee
For decorating cupcakes
Walnuts as desired
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. grease and line up the cupcake moulds and keep them ready. Dissolve 2 tsp coffee powder with 1 tbsp. boiling water and prepare a coffee decoction, mix well allow to cool completely. Sieve the flour with a pinch of salt and baking powder and keep aside. In a mixing bowl cream together the butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy, add in the beaten eggs. Now add in the dry ingredients little at a time and slowly fold them in using a spatula. Add in the coffee mixture and beat once again until all is well combined, add in a few sliced walnuts and fold them in as well. Now spoon up the cupcake mixture and place them into the lined up moulds and place them for baking around 18-20 mins, check the center with a toothpick and once it comes out clean, remove the cupcakes and allow them to cool on a wire rack for around 30 mins. To prepare the butter cream, dissolve the coffee powder the same way like above and keep aside, cool completely. In a mixing bowl cream the butter until light and creamy in texture add in the icing sugar gradually with a low speed on your hand blender and mix well for 3-4 mins until fluffy and smooth add in the dissolved coffee and continue whipping for another couple of minutes. Pipe this buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes and decorate with a few more walnuts and serve with a nice cuppa coffee!

DIVINE MASALA CUPCAKES

Ingredients
1 egg
1½ cup flour/ maida
½ cup butter
1 cup grain sugar
½ tsp vanilla essence
1½ tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
¼ cup milk
For masala mix as below or use 1 tsp readymade chai masala
½ tsp ginger powder
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
¼ tsp cardamom and clove powder mix.
For masala cupcake frosting
1 cup butter
2 cups icing sugar
3-4 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla essence
Dusting of spice mix on top
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. grease the cupcake moulds and keep aside. Prepare the spice mix and keep aside. Sieve the flour with pinch of salt, baking powder and the spice mix and keep all dry ingredients aside. In a bowl cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy using an electric beater. Beat in the egg and vanilla essence, add in the dry ingredients into the wet mixture carefully and mix it all well add in the milk gradually and get a desired dropping texture for the cupcake mixture. Portion the mixture into the prepared cupcake moulds and allow to bake for 18-20 mins, using a toothpick check in the center of the cupcakes once it comes out clean, remove the cupcakes and allow them to cool for 20 mins. For the frosting in a bowl beat up the butter until light and add in the sugar and vanilla essence add in milk to achieve the desired consistency enabling smooth piping on the cupcakes. Decorate the cupcakes with the frosting and sprinkle a little of the spice mix and serve them with a nice cuppa chai!

CARROT CUPCAKES WITH CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

Ingredients
1½ cup flour/ maida
2 eggs
1½ cup grated carrots
1 cup grain sugar
½ cup butter
1 pinch salt
¼ tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
2 tbsp chopped raisins
¼ tsp cinnamon powder
For cream cheese frosting
1 cup cream cheese
½ cup butter
2 cups powder sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 pinch salt
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. grease and line up the cupcake mould. Sieve the flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon powder and keep aside. In a bowl beat together the butter, sugar, vanilla essence and whisk in the eggs one at a time and beat well. Now add in the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients a little at a time and ensure the cupcake mixture is smooth upon mixing, also add in the carrots and raisins and mix them well. Pour this prepared cupcake mixture into the lined cupcake moulds and bake for 15-18 mins and allow to cool before frosting. To prepare the cream cheese frosting in a mixing bowl beat the cream cheese, butter, vanilla essence and salt using a medium speed of an electric hand blender until light and creamy add sugar gradually and continue beating. Transfer the frosting into a piping bag and decorate the cupcakes and serve them.